Week #11 Tuesday, Aug. 21st -Saturday, Aug.25th , 2007 Downloadable Word .doc for printing
In your bag
Cucumbers, Garlic,
Yellow Onions, Tomatoes,
Bell Peppers
Kale try sautéing with garlic
Apples a special treat from the orchard
Cabbage, Potatoes, Eggplant
Zucchini /Summer Squash,
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Basil Bunch for pesto or drying
The basil is no longer pretty, but it will make a lovely batch of pesto. If you’re not a pesto fan, try drying it for use during the winter.
This Week's Recipes
I’d love for you to send us some of your favorite ways to cook Spring Hill veggies so that I can share them with other members.
About This Week’s Bag
Some of the decisions about this week’s bag were based on the wet weather. The potatoes in your bag are from our top row of potatoes – the sandiest ground and thus the driest right now.
We had planned to put carrots in the bag this week, but they are across the stream in some heavier ground that it’s best to stay out of right now. We had also thought we’d have roma tomatoes this week, but they are outside (the others are in our hoophouses) and picking them when it’s this wet tends to spread disease. We’ll start them next week. There’s still plenty of good veggies to eat – perhaps a batch of ratatouille, pesto with pasta, a coleslaw, or maybe some roasted potatoes. I do think this will be the last of the cucumbers for a while and it may be the last of the summer squash for the season.
Next Week’s Bag
I’m pretty sure that fennel will be in your bag next week. We’ve got some purple beans that are close. If we get some sunshine, a second round of melons may ripen. I also think we’ll have another batch of “adolescent” romaine lettuce for you.
Farm News
The weather has shifted dramatically. We’ve headed out to the fields the last couple of days with several layers of clothing, including rain gear and mud boots. While it’s nothing like the flooding in southeastern MN and in Wisconsin, we have gotten over 6 inches of rain here in the last week and a half. After being dry for so long, it is a little crazy to be so wet. Our hearts certainly are with folks in areas that are getting hit particularly hard. These extreme weather patterns make it very tough for farmers.
This week begins the second half of the harvest season. We’ve sent in ten weeks of vegetables and hopefully we’ll send in another ten. Parts of the garden start to look a little tired and worn this time of year. Shorter days and cooler nights mean things are slowing down a little. The cucumbers and zucchini are past their peak (thank goodness). The onions and potatoes have done their growing for the season. We still have plenty of tasty things coming. The fall broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and beets will really appreciate this rain – particularly if we can follow it up with some sunshine!
As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we headed up to the south shore of Lake Superior last Tuesday for a couple of days. We managed to pack about a week’s worth of doings into two days. I wouldn’t call it restful but it was loads of fun. We hiked, biked, swam, took the ferry over to Madeleine Island, built sand castles, played tennis and cards. Thanks to our work crew and Susan Hoch and Jim Haefemeyer for taking care of things while we were gone.
Next Week’s Harvesters
Tuesday, August 28th – Carol Essig, Kaaren Howe & Kathleen Prouty, Jesse Haas & Amy, NEED ONE
Saturday, September 1st - Kate Kysar & Scott Velders, Molly & David Nicholson, Michael Blumfield, Kristine Martin & David Kolcinski, Erin Thompson
